McLaren Racing driver Daniel Ricciardo knows what it's like to operate at peak performance. Both he and his car need to operate at the outer limits of their ability on race day to stand a chance of winning, or even making it to the end of the race. But he also understands that being at your peak means being in control.

At the poker tables, players don't need to worry about spinning off the track into the wall from a momentary lapse of concentration, or a tire blowout at 200 kph because they didn't pull into the pits. But every poker player has experienced some proverbial version of those when they lose control and don't know when to take a break to fix the machinery.

"Only when we're in control are we in charge of our own race," Ricciardo in a recent video. "It's sometimes important to hold back, take a break and take stock. It's important to know when it's time to pit."

Gambling and Auto-racing have a lot in common as McLaren Driver Ricciardo explains